Miami Beach Real Estate > Miami Beach Community Info

The first residents of southern Florida were the Tequesta Indians, who discovered the Miami area more than 10,000 years ago. The land remained theirs until the 16th century when the Spanish claimed it. The area's greatest change came thanks to a visionary Cleveland widow named Julia Tuttle. In 1891, Tuttle purchased 640 acres on the north bank of the Miami River and moved her family into the abandoned Fort Dallas buildings. Within four years, Tuttle, the “Mother of Miami,” convinced Standard Oil co-founder Henry Flagler to extend his railroad to Miami, build a luxury hotel, and lay out a new town. In 1896, the railroad arrived and the city of Miami was incorporated.

The city's early development was supported by avocado and coconut farming. Soon a wooden bridge was built to connect Miami Beach with the mainland. Tourists flocked to the area and many grand hotels were constructed to accommodate them. The fledgling community's growth was stunted, however, by the hurricane of 1926. As the country began to recover from the Great Depression, Miami Beach was well on its way to becoming a modern resort town.

After the Second World War, Miami Beach was a symbol of glitz and glamour for the tourist industry. A new hotel was built every year throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. In order to lure retirees to the city for year-round living, many condominium high-rises were built, replacing the elegant estates.

By the 1970s, Miami Beach's reputation as a tourist destination had begun to suffer due in part to the construction of other new resorts. As tourism waned, the city turned its attention to expanding its convention center. The community's many hotels lost business and they fell on hard times and neglect, especially in the older neighborhoods of South Beach.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, a multi-billion dollar infusion of investment capital produced a beautiful new Miami downtown skyline and a refurbished Miami Beach. In addition, the city's transportation infrastructure was modernized. These improvements paved the way for a new lifestyle that features the arts, culture, sports and entertainment, all with an international accent. The flourishing city of Miami Beach has changed along with the times, overcoming adversity and remaining an international destination for travel, business and beachside living.